Nineveh Receives Mercy Jonah 3

In the history of the church, there have been many revivals that have
taken place. For good reason, the most famous revival took place in the early church
during Pentecost, the Jewish festival. Shortly after the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ, Peter preached a sermon to the Jews who had gathered in Jerusalem for
Pentecost. The Spirit of God anointed his message, so that 3,000 people repented of
their sins and were baptized and brought into the church. Within a few more days, the
church numbered about 5,000! That was a great revival!

During the days of Jonathan Edwards, there was a great revival, known as
"The Great Awakening." Jonathan Edwards had been preaching in Northampton,
Massachusetts with little effect. But, then, in 1734, through the simple preaching of
the word of God, people were being transformed. In conservative churches, people were
being touched with emotional outbursts and radical changes in their lives. People were
awakened to their sin and their need for Christ. Many, who were lukewarm to religion
previously, were transformed into those on fire for Jesus Christ. For the next three
years, the moving of God's Spirit swept throughout Massachusetts and into Connecticut.
George Whitefield was reaping the fruit of this revival as many were converted through
his preaching as well.

In 1858, there was a revival in New York. Jeremiah Lanphier began a
prayer meeting in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday, September 23, 1857. On that day, six
men gathered for a noon-time prayer meeting. The next week, there were twenty people
who attended. The following week, there were forty. Soon, the meetings, which had been
held weekly became daily events. By February of 1858, three separate rooms were needed
to accommodate all of the people praying at noon. By mid-March, the prayer meeting was
moved to Burton's theatre in Manhattan and included more than 3,000 people. By April,
"scores of building -- including printers' shops, fire stations, and police
stations--were open for the same purpose, necessitating a weekly bulletin with
information on the locations of these simultaneous gatherings." [1] Many people were being
converted at these prayer meetings.

A modern day revival took place in the 1990's when college students stood
up before their fellow collegians and confessed their sins to one another. This revival
began on Wednesday, January 22, 1995, at Coggin Avenue Baptist Church in Brownwood
Texas, where two college students stood up and confessed their own sins before the
congregation. The following Sunday, a similar occurrence took place at Howard Payne
University, where these students attended, only this time, after a time of confession,
other students streamed down the aisles to confess their sins as well. The revival
spread to many other college campuses over the next month or two with dozens and dozens
of campuses who were being touched by the power of God as students confessed their sins
to one another. Notable among these colleges was the revival that took place at Wheaton
college.

Sunday evening, March 19, 1995, students met together in Pierce
Chapel at 7:30 pm, which was attended by about 900 people. The meeting lasted until 6am
the following day, when the custodial staff requested the remaining 400 people to
leave, so that the building could be cleaned. They filled five large garbage bags with
alcohol, tobacco, drugs, pornography, and secular music, as people confessed and turned
away from their sins. Subsequent meetings were held at College Church, where nearly
2,000 people gathered to confess their sins to one another. [2]

I had an opportunity to taste a bit of this revival when two-hundred
students from Wheaton College came to Northern Illinois University. They held a service
on campus on N. I. U. , where the students from Wheaton explained what they had
experienced in Wheaton. Given the opportunity, many of the students from then came
forward to confess their sins and seek forgiveness. I would guess that the attendance
at this event was close to 200 students. It was a powerful experience.

Now, how can you explain all of these things? How can you explain what
took place at Pentecost or during the days of the First Great Awakening? How can you
explain what happened through the Manhattan prayer meetings or the revivals on college
campuses? How can you explain it? You can't. It's only the working of God's sovereign
Spirit to convict these people of sin, righteousness and the judgment to come (John
16:8), so that they confess their sins and turn to Christ, where their only hope is
found.

The examples that I have given you this morning are but a few examples of
the incredible working of God in this world. Would we have the time, we could look at
many more examples of crowd of people being convicted of their sins coming to the Lord,
seeking forgiveness. These things have taken place, not only in our country, but also
in many other countries in the world. But, none of the instances of revival have even
come close to what took place in Nineveh, seven hundred and fifty years before the
birth of Christ. In the revival in Nineveh, more than 100,000 people turn from their
sin, and God forgave them.

Jonah 3:1-10 Now the word of the
LORD came to Jonah the second time,
saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation
which I am going to tell you."

So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the
LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly
great city, a three days' walk. Then Jonah began to go through the city one day's
walk; and he cried out and said, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be
overthrown."

Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and
put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. When the word reached the
king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered
himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. He issued a proclamation and it said,
"In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or
flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. But both man and beast must
be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from
his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may turn
and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish."

When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then
God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them.
And He did not do it.

This text nicely breaks down into three sections, based upon the three
subjects of the text. Verses 1-4 talk about Jonah. Verses 5-9 talk about Nineveh. Verse
10 talks about God. And so, my outline this morning has three points. Let's start with
the first one, ...

1. Jonah Repents (verse 1-4).

In the first four verses, we read of the account of Jonah repenting
of his sin. In chapters 1 and 2, we see Jonah refusing the call of God upon his life.
But now, in chapter 3, we see Jonah submitting himself to the LORD's instructions. If you compare verses 1 and 2 with the
first two verses in the book, you will find very little difference. I place them side
by side for your comparison.

Jonah 1:1-2
The word of the LORD came to
Jonah
the son of Amittai
saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and
cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me."

Jonah 3:1-2
Now the word of the LORD came to
Jonah
the second time,
saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city
and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.

The wording between these two accounts is practically identical. In
both instances, this utterance is described as "the word of the LORD." That is, it was God's word to Jonah--a divine
summons. In both cases, God calls Jonah to "arise." That is, "get up, get on your feet,
get ready to go." Then, God calls Jonah to "go to Nineveh." That is, "travel to
Nineveh, move yourself from here to there." In both calls, God identifies Nineveh as
"the great city." That is, "the large, influential city." This is followed by a summons
to speak out against the city. "proclaim to it." That is, "cry against it, preach to
it."

The only differences that you see between these two calls are very
subtle. In chapter 1, Jonah is identified as "the son of Amittai," which is left out of
chapter 3, but that's understandable, since by this time, we already know who Jonah is.
Instead, we see the word coming "the second time." Furthermore, in chapter 1, the sin
of Nineveh is mentioned as the reason why this proclamation needs to be given, but
nothing of the sort is mentioned in chapter 3. Finally, in chapter 1, there is no
mention of God giving Jonah the message to preach, which he says that he will do in
chapter 3.

But, apart from those small differences, everything else is exactly the
same. However, beginning in verse 3 (of each of these chapters), the differences
between these two calls is as different as night and day. Consider the differences,
...

Jonah 1:3
But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish.

Jonah 3:1-2
So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the
LORD.

In chapter 1, we find Jonah fleeing away from Nineveh to the
remotest part of the known world, southern Spain. In chapter 3, we find Jonah following
the LORD's command and traveling to
Nineveh, where he brings God's message to them. I have identified this as Jonah's
repentance. Rather than disobeying the LORD and running from Him, Jonah is now running toward the LORD in obedience to Him. This is repentance. It is a
turning from sin and a turning to God. Whereas at one point, Jonah was being
disobedient to the LORD, he is now
walking in obedience to the LORD.

This is what God calls all of us to do! He calls us to forsake our sin.
He calls us to follow Him. "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself,
and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it
profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in
exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:34-37). This is a call to repentance. This is what
Jesus calls us to.

What was Jonah's sin? He refused God's call to preach to others. I
think about how applicable this sin is to us. I know of nothing more difficult than
being faithful with sharing the gospel with unbelievers that are around me. It's a
constant challenge to be bold with the gospel to my neighbors. How easy it is to remain
silent, when a few words are needed! Perhaps the Lord right now might even be
convicting your heart in people that He is calling you to talk to, but you have headed
to Tarshish instead. Perhaps your Nineveh is at your work, perhaps in your extended
family, or perhaps in your own home. Oh, may God give us the grace to boldly speak for
Him. [3]

Now, the good news is this. You probably have a second opportunity.
Over the next few weeks (or months), you will encounter your Nineveh. Will you be like
Jonah in chapter 1? Or, will be like Jonah in chapter 3? God gave Jonah a second
opportunity to obey by coming to him "a second time." The first time, Jonah blew it and
headed off to Tarshish. But, God pursued him, by bringing the storm upon the sea, by
directing the lots toward him, by throwing him overboard, by appointing the great fish
to swallow Jonah, by bringing Jonah safely to dry land. And now, Jonah has a second
opportunity to obey the LORD. And he
obeyed the second time.

What changed? Why did Jonah obey the second time? I think that the answer
to this question is key. If we want to be successful where once we have failed, we
ought to spend some time thinking about what changed. Did God change? No. Did God's
call change? No. Jonah was still called to go to Nineveh. Jonah was still called to cry
out against them. Did the people of Nineveh change? No. They were still the enemies of
Israel. They were still engaged in wicked behavior.

So what changed? Jonah changed. In chapter 1, Jonah experienced the
pursuing hand of God. Try as you might, you cannot run from God. In chapter 2, Jonah
experienced the merciful hand of God. He was drowning in the sea, and God saved him out
of his distress. Such things will change you as well. When you experience the pursuing,
disciplining hand of God, you will change. When you experience the merciful hand of
God, you will change.

Most likely, God will still give you another opportunity for obedience. I
say this, because the Bible is flooded with those who received a second opportunity.
Moses received a second chance. He tried to take matters into his own
hands and killed an Egyptian who was persecuting a Hebrew worker. But, 40 years later,
God gave him another opportunity to lead the people of Israel out of slavery the right
way. David received a second chance. He blew it with Bathsheba and was
punished for it, even losing his kingdom to Absalom, his son. Yet, God gave him another
opportunity, as he was restored to the throne. Peter received a second
chance. He denied Christ three times one night. Peter even did this when he swore that
he wouldn't. Yet, Jesus restored him and gave him another opportunity. John
Mark received a second chance. On the first missionary journey, he deserted
Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13). But, given a second opportunity, he proved himself to be
faithful, so that in the end, Paul would say, "He is useful to me for service" (2 Tim.
4:11).

So, make the most of your second opportunity. (1) Discern the
discipline of God, and learn the pain of disobedience. (2) Rejoice in the mercy of God,
and love sharing it with others. In verse 3, we see Jonah in his obedience. He "arose
and went to Nineveh according to the word of the LORD." How good it is when we obey the LORD.

Verse 3 continues with a description of Nineveh, "Nineveh was an
exceedingly great city, a three days' walk." This was the third time in the book of
Jonah that God describes Nineveh in this way. In 1:2, we read, "Nineveh the great
city." In 3:2, we read, "Nineveh the great city." We will see this description again in
4:11, "Nineveh the great city."

Here in verse 3, it's not "the great city." It is the
"exceedingly great city" (verse 3). The NIV says, "a very important city."
Literally, it is the "great city to God." In every way, Nineveh was a great city.
Nineveh was great in population. There were more than 120,000 persons" in the city
(according to 4:11). Nineveh was great in wickedness (as we have seen elsewhere).
Finally, Nineveh was great in size. This is what the writer is getting at here, because
the next phrase describes how big it was. Nineveh was "a three days' walk."

Nineveh was a gigantic, well-fortified city for Bible times. During the
days of Jonah, the capital of Israel, the city of Samaria, had about 30,000 people in
it. Nestled among the hills, it was tight and crowded. But, the cities of the
Mesopotamia plain, where Nineveh was, had little to prevent it from expanding.
Archeologists have discovered two walls in Nineveh. The first was a huge inner wall. It
was 50 feet wide and 100 feet tall. It's circumference was 8 miles around. There was a
second wall that enclosed fields and smaller towns. According to an ancient historian,
the length of this wall was 60 miles around. It would take three days to walk around
the entire outer-wall, such was the size of Nineveh.

In verse 4, we see Jonah beginning his ministry in Nineveh. "Then Jonah
began to go through the city one day's walk; and he cried out and said, 'Yet forty days
and Nineveh will be overthrown.'" This describes the first day of Jonah's ministry. He
went into the city, found appropriate places to preach, stood among the people, and
delivered his sermon, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown." This phrase is a
mere five words in the Hebrew.

We don't know if these five words was all he said. I sort of doubt it, as
there are often times in the Bible where only a brief summary of messages are given.
One notable example of this takes place in chapter 1. In verse 9, Jonah told them
merely that he was a Hebrew. But, in verse 10, the sailors question him about something
that wasn't recorded in the Biblical text (but was explained later). Regardless of
whether or not this was all that Jonah said, we know that it's accurate. Jonah's
message to Nineveh was that there is destruction on the way.

According to verse 2, God was going to give Jonah the message to
proclaim to Nineveh. We don't really know if this is the message that God had given to
Jonah. It may have been only half of the message, for there is no hope here given of
deliverance, which is almost always characteristic of God's message. When Isaiah came
preaching, his message was the same. Calling Israel by names, such as Sodom and
Gomorrah (Is. 1:10), he said, "'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the
LORD, 'though your sins are as scarlet,
they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like
wool. If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land. But if you refuse and
rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.' Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken" (Is. 1:18-20).

When Jeremiah was preaching, his message was the same. "'Return
faithless Israel,' declares the LORD;
'I will not look upon you in anger. For I am gracious,' declares the
LORD; 'I will not be angry forever'"
(Jer. 3:12). Jeremiah's call was one of repentance for forgiveness. What was true of
the Old Testament prophets was also true of the New Testament as well. When John the
Baptist preached destruction upon Israel, "The axe is already laid at the root of the
trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into
the fire" (Matthew 3:10). Earlier, John had said, "bear fruit in keeping with
repentance." The implication is clear: there's hope if you repent.

When Jesus came, he preached repentance, "Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand" (Matt. 4:17). Only when Israel refused to repent did Jesus say, "the
kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit
of it" (Matt. 21:43). The implication is clear: there's hope if you repent. But,
Jonah's message contained none of this. I think that Jonah only preached half of the
message that God gave him to preach. He preached the judgment, but not the hope.

In some ways, this casts doubt upon Jonah's repentance. It shows his
continued hard heartedness toward Nineveh, the wicked city (which we will look at more
extensively next week). However, if you look hard enough, you will find a bit of mercy
in Jonah's message. First of all, mere fact that God sent Jonah was a display of God's
mercy. God didn't need to warn the Ninevites of the coming destruction. Furthermore,
when Jonah said, "Yet forty days," a period of God's mercy was displayed as well. Also
if God had desired to destroy the city, He didn't need to wait forty days. But, the
waiting period was a tiny window of hope for Nineveh. And they banked on this hope,
which we see in my second point, ...

2. Nineveh Repents (verses 5-9).

In verses 5-9 we see Nineveh clinging to whatever little hope they might
find with the message brought to them by the strange prophet from Israel. In verse 5,
we see the response of the people. "Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and
they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them."

It's important to see here how the people viewed Jonah's message. They
saw his message as coming from the mouth of God. It wasn't Jonah that they believed. It
was God that they believed. This isn't a subtle point. This is the main point. When
Jonah spoke, it was as if God had come to earth to speak to Nineveh.

This is the dynamic of those who genuinely repent. They hear a person
speaking, but they discern that something far more dynamic is going on. In reality,
they hear the voice of God and respond to His message, not the message of the prophet.
We need to be Bible people. I remember one time talking with some one about Christ and
the Bible. Long before I was ever a pastor. He was checking things out, being
interested in Christianity. We had many discussions. He asked me tons of questions, I
always sought to answer from the Bible. At one point, he was angry with me, because I
wouldn't tell him what I thought. It was always what the Bible says. The reason I
answered him this way was because of the need for him to hear from God.

This is why, in my preaching, I attempt to stick so closely with the
Bible. God will use me to the extent that I stay faithful to His word. Because, what
God has written, He has promised to use to accomplish His purposes. Isaiah 55:11, "My
word .. which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without
accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
But, if we go beyond the Scripture and preach our own opinions, we have no authority
from God. God hasn't promised to bless that sort of word. Pity the people who are
following the words of a preacher. But, rejoice in the power of the people who are
following the words of God.

Those in Nineveh believed that God had spoken to them. And they repented.
They called a fast. They also put on sackcloth. These are outward signs of repentance,
mentioned often in the Bible. The idea of both of them is that they are an outward
expression of your inward sorrow for your sin. The fast would bring the Ninevites to a
place of dependence upon God as their stomachs would have hunger pangs. The sackcloth
would bring the Ninevites into close association with the poor, the prisoners and the
slaves--the needy people. The Ninevites knew that they were sinners. The Ninevites knew
that they needed repentance. Jonah's words were all that they needed to hear. And there
was this spontaneous outcry among the people, "Let us fast! Let us seek God!"

Word spread rapidly. In verse 6 we read of how "the word reached the king
of Nineveh." Jonah didn't go to him directly. But, Jonah's word spread like wildfire
and captured the attention of the king, whose name was probably Ashur-dan III
(772-755), if we are right about the dates of Jonah.

The king believed God. Like the people, he too, humbled himself
before the LORD. "He arose from his
throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth, sat on the ashes"
(verse 7). All of this brought the king, into solidarity with his subjects. The act of
rising from the throne and laying aside his robe was a symbolic gesture to renounce his
power and authority in light of the One who has all power and authority. This was an
act of great humility on behalf of the king. He brought himself to be low with the
people. The act of donning the sackcloth and sitting in the ashes was a great act of
humility on his part. Again, these things are signs of repentance. Repentance is always
associated with signs of humility.

And then, he used his royal power to enact a decree, commanding the
entire city to repent, "In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let
man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. But both
man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that
each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands" (verses
7-8).

This reminds me of the call that president Bush made two days after the
terrorist attack on our nation, which brought down several buildings in New York and
killed thousands of people. President Bush declared, ...

Civilized people around the world denounce the evildoers who devised
and executed these terrible attacks. Justice demands that those who helped or
harbored the terrorists be punished -- and punished severely. The enormity of their
evil demands it. We will use all the resources of the United States and our
cooperating friends and allies to pursue those responsible for this evil, until
justice is done.

We mourn with those who have suffered great and disastrous loss. All
our hearts have been seared by the sudden and sense-less taking of innocent lives. We
pray for healing and for the strength to serve and encourage one another in hope and
faith.

Scripture says: "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be
comforted." I call on every American family and the family of America to observe a
National Day of Prayer and Remembrance, honoring the memory of the thousands of
victims of these brutal attacks and comforting those who lost loved ones. We will
persevere through this national tragedy and personal loss. In time, we will find
healing and recovery; and, in the face of all this evil, we remain strong and united,
'one Nation under God.'

Now, therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim Friday, September 14, 2001, as a National Day of
Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11,
2001. I ask that the people of the United States and places of worship mark this
National Day of Prayer and Remembrance with noontime memorial services, the ringing
of bells at that hour, and evening candlelight remembrance vigils. I encourage
employers to permit their workers time off during the lunch hour to attend the
noontime services to pray for our land. I invite the people of the world who share
our grief to join us in these solemn observances.

Do you remember where you were that day? I remember watching the national
service at noon that day. I was in the walls of a church that evening, praying for our
nation. Likewise, should you have asked anyone from Nineveh, "Do you remember where you
were on that day?" I'm sure that they all could tell you where they were, and how they
responded to the edict of the king. They could have told you how they went hungry that
night. They could have told you how they how they visited their livestock and placed
the burlap sacks upon their backs. They could have told you how they didn't feed their
livestock their usual allotment of grain. They could have told you how they didn't
water their animals that night. They could have told you of the prayer meeting they
attended. They could have told you of the sin that they confessed and repented of.

The people of Nineveh were summoned to "call on God earnestly" which they
did. We too, as a nation did this as well. Nineveh was also called to "turn from their
wicked way" which they did. Though they had been men of violence, they turned from it.
Sadly, we, as a nation, have not done this.

Jonah was one day into his ministry to Nineveh, and already his message
had captured the heart of the entire city. The people believed and the king believed.
The entire city was called to fasting and humiliation and repentance.

What amazes me, is that they had no promise that the
LORD would repeal His sentence upon
them. The reasoning of the king goes like this, "Who knows, God may turn and relent and
withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish" (verse 9). In other words, "We
have no promise from God. He has said that he will destroy us in forty days. And we
believe it. We have been a wicked and violent people. We deserve to be destroyed for
our sin. And yet, we can't merely sit back and remain idle while our city is at stake.
Let's at least make an effort to thwart our coming doom. Let's at least humble
ourselves before the LORD and just see
if He is merciful to us. It may just be that God will turn and relent and withdraw His
burning anger so that we will not perish."

That's true repentance. There is a repentance, which is sorrowful for
being caught. There is also a repentance which is sorrowful of the consequences. Both
of these repentances are suspect. But, when there's no carrot in front of the
Ninevites, promising safety if they perform some sort of deeds, you can trust its
genuineness. With Nineveh, there was no assurance from God that all would be well if
they did x, y, and z. Instead, their only hope was the mercy of God. And God was
merciful to them. We see this in my third and final point this morning, ...

3. God Relents (verse 10).

We read in verse 10, "When God saw their deeds, that they turned from
their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He
would bring upon them. And He did not do it." The old King James translates this, "and
God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them."

However, the problem with ascribing "repentance" here with the act of God
is that it doesn't quite represent what God did. When we hear the word, "repentance,"
we think of turning away from evil and turning to good, which is entirely appropriate
understanding of this word. But, God wasn't turning away from evil in the sense that we
turn away from evil. Had God destroyed Nineveh, he would not have sinned in any way.
His actions would have been perfectly just. A wicked nation deserves punishment from
the hand of the Almighty. But, in light of their actions, God showed forth His
compassion and mercy upon Nineveh. In fact, that's how the NIV translates this verse,
"[God] had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had
threatened."

"Compassion" captures the idea well here. God had seen their deeds and
had a pity upon the people of Nineveh, and withdrew His sentence of condemnation. God
saw their deeds. God tested their deeds. God saw "that they turned from their wicked
way." And God didn't bring upon them the destruction that He had promised.

The theological question that often comes to mind at this point is
whether or not God changed His mind regarding Nineveh. The Scripture speaks of how "God
is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said,
and will He not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?" (Num. 23:19).
Another passage of Scripture says it this way, "The Glory of Israel will not lie or
change His mind" (1 Sam. 15:29). So, what's up with this here in Jonah 3:10? Did God
change His mind? I say, "No." Rather, I believe that God's message to Nineveh was a
conditional message. Though Jonah only presented half of the story, the truth of the
matter is that God's judgments upon man are often conditional. And, so are some of His
blessings as well.

We catch a summary of the heart of God in the following passage.

Jeremiah 18:7-10 At one moment I might
speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to
destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will
relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Or at another moment I might
speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it
does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good
with which I had promised to bless it."

These words are most applicable to Nineveh. God had pronounced judgment
upon them. But, as they turned from evil, God relented of His judgment, because that's
the way that God is. God is a merciful God. And in Nineveh, we see mercy. The people of
Nineveh were sinners in the worst way. They deserved to be destroyed. But, God, in His
mercy, "relented from the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And
He did not do it" (verse 10).

Would the truth be known, this is why any of us are saved from our sin.
The sentence of the Bible is death upon us for our sin. "The wages of sin is death"
(Romans 6:23). The only way that we ever escape this judgment is the mercy of God. "The
free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Salvation
comes to us through Christ as a gift. We don't earn it in any way. He freely gives it
to any who believe. And this is the great promise of the gospel that we proclaim. God
has promised to give eternal life to all who believe in Jesus. To all who would forsake
all and follow Him, He will give eternal life.

How different we stand compared with the people of Nineveh. They
received a half-message from a half-hearted prophet with no promises at all from a God
who they barely know, and yet, they still repented the first time they heard the
message.

Think about Jonah. Jonah's message gave only half the story. He merely
declared that destruction was coming upon Nineveh. He gave them no reason to repent. He
gave them no divine promises. With everything that we know about Jonah, I don't believe
that Jonah was too earnest in seeking to persuade the people to repent. According to
chapter 4, verse 2, this was the last thing that Jonah wanted to see from Nineveh. I
don't believe that he was a very bold preacher.

Furthermore, I don't think that he followed a very good strategy in how
to reach the city of Nineveh in forty days. He had no programs. He had no bands to
attract attention. He didn't go to the king. In fact, if anything, Jonah's methods were
anti-revival. He didn't want a revival to break out. But, revival, in fact, did break
out, ... and such are the ways of God. His Spirit blows were it will.

Throughout the book of Nineveh, we have seen various miracles
taking place. The storm upon the sea was ordained by the sovereign hand of God. The
lots were directed by the LORD. The
calming of the sea and the rescue of Jonah in the stomach of a big fish. But, none of
the miracles were larger than the faith of Nineveh.

If Nineveh believed a half-message from a half-hearted preacher with no
promises at all from God, they barely know, the first time they heard the message. Then
what excuse do you have for not believing? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe that
Jesus has taken away your sins upon the cross?

I want to close my message this morning in Matthew 12. Let's pick it up
in verse 38-41, ...

Matthew 12:38-41 Then some of the scribes
and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered
and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no
sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was
three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man
be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will
stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they
repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is
here.

The people of Nineveh were walking in darkness. they knew little to
nothing about God. They had no Sunday school, no church, no Scripture, no teachers, no
godly examples before them. What about you? Have you had these things? Have you
repented?

The people of Nineveh heard the message once! They repented the first
time they heard. What about You? How many times have you heard? Have you heard in
Sunday school? Have you heard it in church services? Have you read it in the
Scriptures? Have you heard it taught by teachers on the radio? Have you listened to
CD's or DVD's that explain the gospel? Have you real life examples to follow? Have you
read it in books?

The people of Nineveh heard a half-message. Jonah only proclaimed
judgment to them. He gave no indication of mercy. Furthermore, the best that the people
of Nineveh had was only a partial revelation of God, with no knowledge of Jesus. They
had no guarantee and no promises. What about you? The message that you have heard is
one of mercy. You have the full revelation, in which you have seen the place of Jesus
in the saving plan of God. You have a guarantee of forgiveness if you repent.

Have you taken advantage of your opportunity? If not, then, "the men of
Nineveh will stand up .... at the judgment, and will condemn [you] because they
repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something grater than Jonah is here"
(Matt. 12:41).

Jesus Christ is greater than Jonah. In Him is all wisdom (Col.
2:3). Jonah lacked great wisdom in that he disobeyed the LORD. Jesus is the fulfillment of Scripture (John 5:39).
Jonah was merely one portion of the full revelation. Jesus has healing power (Matthew
8-9). Jonah needed a God to come and save him. Jesus could calm the storm (Matt.
8:23-47). Jonah needed God to calm the storm (Jonah 1:15). Jesus offered Himself as
full atonement (1 John 2:2). Jonah had no atonement to offer. Jesus was raised from the
dead (Luke 24). Jonah wasn't. Jesus has promised His return (Matt. 24-25). Jonah is
merely an Old Testament saint, awaiting the return of the LORD as well.

Jesus is better! Have you taken advantage of your privilege and believed
in Jesus?

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on
March 15, 2009 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rvbc.cc.

[3] If you are wanting to
enlarge your heart for evangelism and missions, here are a few books that might help
you in that direction.

- Tell the Truth, by Will Metzger. This is a great book which helps to
articulate and explain the gospel and give you some practical helps to share
it.
- The Master Plan of Evangelism, by Robert Coleman. This is a classic book that looks
at the strategy of Jesus to impact the world.
- Let the Nations be Glad, by John Piper. This excellent book shows how the supremacy
of God ought to drive us to missions.